Sunday, August 9, 2015

Checking In . . .

All is well in our neck o' the woods.  Haven't spent much time blogging as we've been working a smidge bit too hard, but accomplishing a lot, and that feels good.

Took some time off last Friday night to go visit some friends and bring home a new-to-us banty rooster.  They are (for the time being, at least) getting out of the chicken keeping business and wondered if we wanted a bantam rooster.

Just so happens we lost our bantam rooster last year when a hawk flew over the chicken pasture, scared heck out of the birds, most of whom ran for shelter, but either our bantam rooster panicked and tried to run through the electric fencing or possibly was driven into it by the hawk in hot pursuit.  Unfortunately, he got tangled in the fence and by the time we got to him he was in bad shape and died during the night.  So we were happy to take in this new guy as a boyfriend for our two banty hens.


He's a pretty boy, very docile and friendly.  I'm not positive, but I think he may be a Silver Laced Cochin.

D and M, our good neighbors, trundled over to our place late yesterday afternoon to get some dill.  D was making pickles and, for some reason, the dill he planted this year isn't doing diddly-squat.


I have plenty (and then some) so was glad to share as much as they needed.

While we were all out in the garden talking, I complained to M that my slicing cukes just weren't sizing up at all.  With that, she plunged her hand into the cucumber vines and pulled out a couple.


"These look big enough to eat to me," she said.  By gar, if she wasn't right.  I sliced them, added garlic salt and pepper, some dill leaves and a small amount of salad dressing, and we had them last night with macaroni and cheese.  Crunchy, crispy and F-R-E-S-H tasting.


Our edible podded peas are in their full glory right now, so I went out into the garden this morning to pick these for breakfast.  I sauteed a couple of diced scallions in butter, added the leftover mac and cheese from last night, put two fresh eggs on top, and cooked covered until the eggs were done.  A portion of that on each of our plates along with a helping of the tender-cooked peas with butter and salt and we called it a gooood breakfast!

I've still got shell peas to process tonight, and I suppose we'll need to eat something for dinner right soon now, so I'd better get back to my kitchen duties.

Hope you all had a good weekend!

14 comments:

Content in a Cottage said...

Love you new bantam rooster. He's quite handsome. You have been too busy for words. Your new deck is looking good. Have a good week.
xo, Rosemary

Mama Pea said...

Rosemary - Yes, we've been busy this summer. Even more than usual! But you are no stranger to filling your days either. Hope you have a great week, too. Thanks for the encouraging words.

Dawn said...

He is a handsome fella, We have a lovely banty cockerel after losing ours to a buzzard they are netted in now against overhead predators :-)

Sue said...

Despite his small stature, he looks like he could certainly rule the roost! Good looking chicken, chickie!!

I was so happy yesterday to get FIVE!!!! sugar snap peas all to myself. Darn critters! Hubby caught 2 more chipmunks, and two field mice in the pea patch. EVERYBODY loves my peas and their not sharing!
Waaaaaaaaah!

Sue said...

Oooof--my English---it should have read --THEY'RE not sharing. Drink more coffee, Sue. You're not awake yet! (4:20 am)

Mama Pea said...

Dawn - I know putting netting over a chicken run is about the only way to protect them from overhead flyers. We once had a group of chicks that were about pullet size that we kept in a moveable pen with wire on all sides and over the top. There was a hawk that would land on the top, gripping the wire and shaking it in a fit of temper because he couldn't get at the chickens!

Mama Pea said...

Sue - So far Shivers (that was the name he came with) seems happy enough in our flock. He's thus far remained pretty much by himself but comes running when scratch is thrown out and spends his days checking out the premises.

P.S. Lay off that caffeine, girlie. I knew your "their" was meant to be "they're!" You're better at sharing your garden bounty than I am. I get absolutely rabid when anything (not invited) takes my hard won veggies!

Laurie said...

Ok that's it! I'm coming to live with you. All that garden fare and your breakfast.... I've never thought of that combination, but sounds down right delicious!

Cindy said...

Beautiful rooster but I think he's a light brahma. A cochin will have a more rounded rump and the lacing will be black on the outside and white on the inside of each feather. Love our brahma, if you come to Iowa, I've got a buff bantam rooster for you too! Our favorites are the mille fluer d'uccles--pretty little feather footed bantams!

Mama Pea said...

Laurie - You know what it is, don't you? We women (and chief cooks) get so tired of our own cooking . . . even if it is good. When I hear of a "thrown together" meal some other gal has made I think it sounds so absolutely delicious . . . and why can't *I* think of something like that?! Oh, to have a wife to cook for me! ;o] Especially when there is all this wonderful garden produce that could be turned into delectable meals . . . but this time of year, I'm in the kitchen so little that I don't have the time to take advantage of it!!! Grrrrr . . .

Mama Pea said...

Cindy - You are ABSOLUTELY right, m'dear. He IS a Light Brahma! That's what my husband thought he was, too, so I stand corrected. The folks we got him from said he was a cochin and the Silver Laced was the closest I could match him to. But now after your comment and I found a picture of a Light Brahma, I know for sure what he is. Thanks for the expert chicken insight!

So . . . where in Iowa can we find you? (Just kidding. ;o])

Cindy said...

Not a problem at all. Being a duck person mostly, my youngest(well 17 yrs young) is the chicken expert. She raises and shows a variety of them, but fell in love with her bantams a couple years ago. Though, honestly, I thought we were done letting the hens hatch for the year....last night a lone chick was wandering the chicken house. Hum, now who does he belong to?
You know, I could arrange for the roo to hitch a ride up north with dog show friends :) I'm down by Cedar Rapids. Believe me, I've hauled some unique things home from shows before!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

The rooster looks pretty handsome.

Mama Pea said...

Kristina - He is a fine feathered fellow and has fit in with our flock very well.